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Ding-dong…
A single droplet of water fell into the still bathwater, creating a soft ripple.
Venelana and Bokue sat cross-legged, facing each other.
She unhooked her arms from around the boy's neck, keeping her lower half steady as she leaned far back, arching her body in a long stretch.
"Mmm~ It's been days since I've had a proper soak… There's really nothing quite like a good bath."
The statement was harmless on its own—baths were relaxing, much like how a good portion of the Japanese population adored hot springs.
But when she said it in that position, it became hard to tell whether she was talking about the bath… or something entirely different.
Bokue supported her waist with one hand.
"What? You don't bathe alone?"
"Haaah~"
Venelana exhaled softly.
"Of course not. Taking a bath by yourself is boring. You could bring a book, sure, but I've already read them all—and getting them wet is just a hassle. I'd rather shower quickly and curl up in bed… while thinking of you. Hmm, maybe the better phrase is… relieving my loneliness?"
She straightened her back with a gentle flex of her abs and wrapped her damp arms around his neck again, fluttering her lashes with a playful pout.
Relieving loneliness, huh?
It was spelled like "loneliness," but read more like greco-roman wrestling.
"Is it really that serious?"
Bokue leaned back slightly to adjust, making it more comfortable for her to rest on him.
"Of course… just kidding~"
She couldn't help but giggle at his half-shocked, half-suspicious expression. Then, quick as lightning, she closed the distance and planted a kiss on his lips.
Her voice dipped into a whisper as she leaned in close to his ear, soft as silk—
"Once you've tasted luxury… it's hard to go back to modesty, you know?"
"…So what happens later?"
Bokue's question came out of nowhere.
Venelana blinked, caught off guard.
"What do you mean?"
"Ah, I mean—"
Realizing his phrasing was a bit vague, Bokue clarified.
"Summer break's only two months long. After that, I probably won't be able to pop back and forth like this. What do we do then?"
Now that was a real problem.
Their relationship wasn't exactly public. At least not to Rias. For now, it was absolutely top-secret.
And given Rias's status as a highborn devil noble, every trip between the Underworld and the Human world required her to pass through Itogami's customs checkpoint via formal transport. No instant teleportation like Bokue's. It was slow, tedious, and very official. She spent most of her time living in the Human world for school, only returning home on major breaks.
And the Gremory castle was crawling with maids. If Bokue kept popping up during the school year and one of them caught wind of it—and Rias started asking questions…
That'd be a problem.
"Hmm~ I've thought about that too."
Venelana placed a finger to her chin, then her eyes lit up like a golden light bulb.
"Ah! I've got it. I'll just move to the human world!"
"…Huh?"
Bokue was stunned.
But Venelana only grew more enthusiastic the more she talked.
"Our Gremory family owns quite a bit of real estate in Japan, you know? I'll just buy out your whole apartment building and remodel it into a castle! That way, everyone can live together~ Isn't that a great idea?"
"Then… where would you live?"
Bokue forced a smile.
"With you, of course. I mean, it is your and Rias's future home, right? It's not weird for family to live together."
Venelana beamed.
"Besides, I'm not exactly needed here in the Underworld. All I do is eat, sleep, and pretend to manage the territory. Sure, I'm technically in charge, but let's be real… ahahaha…"
Sure sounded like the confessions of a lazy manager, but she wasn't wrong.
In the human world, governments existed because those in power needed workers to keep society running. There was a give-and-take between classes.
But in the Underworld? That dynamic was reversed. High-class devils didn't need the lower ones—they could survive completely independently. But the reverse wasn't true. Lesser devils relied on protection from their betters.
Bokue, for example, had the strength to sink Japan's Imperial Palace into the ocean and backhand the entire Cabinet into the sun.
Then hijack the national news broadcast and rename the country "Heaven, Inc." if he really felt like it.
But he didn't. Ruling sounded like a pain. Who wanted that responsibility?
So yeah… Venelana wasn't wrong.
Still, she coughed lightly, realizing maybe she'd said a little too much.
"Anyway, it's not without precedent. Take the Sitri siblings—Serafall's a Maou now and barely comes home, and Sona's basically Rias 2.0. They're lucky to return home even once a year. But the Sitri estate still runs just fine."
Nice save attempt.
"Anyway, it'll be fine! Someday, we'll all live together and—hm?"
Venelana suddenly stopped, her eyes shifting away from the ceiling and settling beyond Bokue's shoulder. She stared at the bathroom entrance—expression blank, eyes wide, unblinking.
"…What is it?"
After about three seconds, Bokue realized something felt… off.
Venelana had said no one else would come by at this hour. And the castle walls were thick—perfectly soundproof. That's why he hadn't bothered with any magic barriers.
But…
A dreadful thought struck him. He slowly turned to look over his shoulder.
There, standing at the bathroom threshold that led into the dressing area, was a silver-haired maid, wrapped in nothing but a towel.
Glistening amber eyes stared blankly at the scene before her. The image of the two lovers in the bath was reflected crystal clear in her shocked pupils. Normally the picture of poise and composure, the woman's face now registered unfiltered shock and visible confusion.
"..."
Yeah. Definitely busted.
Bokue was still trying to figure out how to fix this when Venelana beat him to it.
No yelling. No panicking. Just a warm smile and a wave.
"Come join us for a soak, Grayfia-chan~"
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